Just a dream
by Aggie Deneys
Summary: Wally West/Flash wonders whether Professor Zoom/Thawne's warning was just a mind game or something that will happen.


Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine.

A/N: There wasn't a copy/paste malfunction. Bear with it. It explains itself. This story builds off something Eobard Thawne said to Wally in Flash Rebirth 6.

* * *

His communicator pinged in his ear. "I'm here."

"There's been a homicide," Oracle stated.

Wally frowned. In general, the superhero community didn't get involved in solving murders. The police had more expertise in that area. There had been a handful of exceptions over the years when the murder had affected the superhero community. Wally felt his blood chill. "Who?"

"Wally…"

"Who," he demanded, anger in his voice.

"I don't know, but you need to get to Bart's house."

If Oracle said anything else, he didn't hear it. As soon as she had said "Bart's house," he had taken off. After all these years, no one had yet designed a communicator that worked when a Flash was running. He stopped several houses away and changed into civilian clothing. Police vehicles lined the street. An ambulance was parked next to the curb. Its flashing lights had been turned off. An ominous sign.

Wally spotted Bart sitting on the front steps. His uncle Barry sat next to him. A police officer tried to stop Wally, but he pushed his way through. "Bart?"

Bart looked up, tears filled his eyes, shock covered his face. "Wally." He threw himself into his cousin's arms. "She's…oh, god…she's dead."

* * *

His communicator pinged in his ear. "I'm here."

"There's been a homicide," Oracle stated.

Wally frowned. In general, the superhero community didn't get involved in solving murders. The police had more expertise in that area. There had been a handful of exceptions over the years when the murder had affected the superhero community. Wally felt his blood chill. He also felt an odd sense of déjà vu. "Who?"

"Wally…"

"Who," he demanded, anger in his voice.

"I don't know, but you need to get to Barry's house."

If Oracle said anything else, he didn't hear it. As soon as she had said "Barry's house," he had taken off. After all these years, no one had yet designed a communicator that worked when a Flash was running. He stopped several houses away and changed into civilian clothing. Police vehicles lined the street. An ambulance was parked next to the curb. Its flashing lights had been turned off. An ominous sign.

Again he was hit with a strong sense of déjà vu. Something felt oddly familiar. The warning. The reason. The emergency vehicles. Wally spotted Barry sitting on the front steps. His cousin Bart sat next to him. A police officer tried to stop Wally, but he pushed his way through. "Barry?"

Barry looked up, tears filled his eyes, shock covered his face. "Wally." He threw himself into his nephew's arms. "She's…oh, god…Iris is dead."

* * *

His communicator pinged in his ear. "I'm here."

"There's been a homicide," Oracle stated.

Wally frowned. In general, the superhero community didn't get involved in solving murders. The police had more expertise in that area. There had been a handful of exceptions over the years when the murder had affected the superhero community. Wally felt his blood chill. He also felt an odd sense of déjà vu. "Who?"

"Wally…"

"Who," he demanded, anger in his voice.

"I don't know, but you need to go home."

If Oracle said anything else, he didn't hear it. As soon as she had said "go home," he had taken off. After all these years, no one had yet designed a communicator that worked when a Flash was running. He stopped several houses away. Police vehicles lined the street. An ambulance was parked next to the curb. Its flashing lights had been turned off. An ominous sign.

Again he was hit with a strong sense of déjà vu. Hadn't this already happened? His memory was fuzzy with the details, but things just seemed too familiar. Wally spotted Linda sitting on the front steps. His Aunt Iris sat next to her. A police officer tried to stop Wally, but he pushed his way through. "Linda?"

Linda looked up, tears filled her eyes, shock covered her face. "Wally." She threw herself into her husband's arms. "She's…oh, god…Irey's dead."

* * *

Wally sat up with a start. His heart pounded in his chest. A cold sweat covered his body. He looked around the darkened room in confusion. Recognition came slowly. He was in his bedroom. Linda lay next to him, sound asleep. A dream. It had only been a dream. But it had seemed so real. Irey, Aunt Iris and Bart's wife had been murdered.

But how could it be real? Bart's wife? Bart didn't even have a girlfriend, or at least he didn't think his cousin had a girlfriend. Surely, Iris would have said something.

No matter. For his own sanity, he needed to confirm it had only been a dream, a horrible dream. He pushed the covers aside, taking care not to wake Linda.

He walked down the hall, avoiding the spot near the bathroom door that squeaked. Slowly, he pushed open the door to his daughter's bedroom. He had to be certain. Once he saw her, he would truly know it had only been a dream. He had to be certain Irey was alright. He had to see her. After he checked on Irey, maybe he would do a quick pass of Aunt Iris' house, just to be safe. Maybe he'd even check on Bart.

Inside the bedroom, Irey lay asleep in her bed. An enormous feeling of relief washed over him. Only a dream. It had felt real, but it was only a dream. She hadn't been murdered. She wasn't dead. Silently, he walked into the bedroom, pulled the blanket up around her shoulders and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. Safe and asleep.

Shutting the door behind him, he paused. Already the dream was fading. By morning, he probably wouldn't remember it. To a great extent, he hoped he didn't. He didn't want to see those images again – the bloodied bodies of Bart's wife, Aunt Iris and Irey.

Another part of the dream remained vivid. The person who had killed them. The one who had attacked his family. Wally stared at the other closed bedroom door. He moved across the hall and opened it. Inside, like his sister, Jai was fast asleep. In the dream, his son had been a murderer. Stepping inside, he gently brushed some of Jai's hair away from his forehead. Jai stirred, but didn't wake up.

How many times had Barry told him not let Thawne's words haunt him? It seemed to be at least once whenever they spoke. Barry reminded him that time was fluid, nothing was guaranteed. He also reminded him that Thawne only wanted to hurt him. On the surface, Wally knew all of that. They had been in the middle of a fight. Thawne had been looking for an advantage. Throwing him for an emotional loop would have provided a potential advantage. It hadn't worked then. Wally was trying hard to not let it work now.

His mind fought against the idea. Only he and Barry knew what had been said. It wasn't something he felt he could share, at least not until he had come to terms with it. He didn't want Linda to worry. She already worried about Jai. They both did. Since losing his powers, Jai had become withdrawn and moody. They kept telling themselves that Jai just needed to adjust to his new status in life. Once he did, everything would be fine.

But would Jai ever accept it? Were they just lying to themselves? No matter what Barry said, there was no denying Thawne was from the future. In some future, Jai turned on his family. Did Iris know? Was she just protecting them? Wally didn't want to believe that his aunt would keep this critical of a piece of information from him. Maybe he could try to track down Booster. Booster was from the future. If Booster didn't know, his robot Skeets might know.

Then, again, would knowing help? Time was fluid. Just because Jai became a murderer in that version of history, didn't mean they couldn't prevent it now. Things changed. Likewise, even if Jai didn't become a murderer in the history they knew, didn't mean he didn't become one now. Wally felt the beginnings of a headache.

Should he go back in time and have Jai take the powers and not Irey? Would that be a better choice? Would Irey be more capable of adjusting to a normal life? Or wouldn't it matter? Or what other changes might happen if Jai were given powers instead of Irey? Would some catastrophes be averted only to cause new ones? Not only was time fluid, but it also seemed to have a way to righting wrongs. This is why he hated time travel.

He went back to his own bedroom, slipped between the sheets and pulled his wife close. The rest of the night brought no more sleep. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw his son standing over those bloodied bodies, a sick grin on his face. Thawne standing behind Jai, a smile on his face as well. Maybe he could just keep a closer eye on Jai…at least for a little while…just to be safe. And maybe he could see if he could find Booster and just ask him a couple questions…


End file.
